Workers give up pay to save jobs

Almost 100 town employees from numerous departments have agreed to wage concessions that will save the town nearly $300,000, Town Administrator John F. McAuliffe said yesterday.

Dispatchers, Town Hall clerks, and highway, water, sewer, library, and various nonunion employees have joined police officers, who gave up paid holidays late last week.

The employees voted in many cases to forgo a raise and take as many as 15 furlough days, Mr. McAuliffe said, adding that he “couldn’t be prouder” because “it’s really a double hit for many of these employees.”

Some of the concessions will save money during the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, although the bulk of the savings will be realized in fiscal 2010.

Clerks and dispatchers voted unanimously in favor of wage freezes and a three-week furlough. DPW workers did the same.

“We’re just happy that we were able to help the town however we could,” said Jo-Ann Korostek, a clerk in the assessor’s office.

In public works, 26 union employees and eight nonunion employees will take the hit, according to John A. Brousseau, union steward for SEIU Local 888 .

“This is just one of many times the union employees of Webster DPW have sacrificed pay and benefits for the better of the town when they’re in tough financial shape,” said Mr. Brousseau, a wastewater treatment plant operator.

Mr. Brousseau, among three union DPW employees in the highest pay scale, said he was giving up $5,100 over 15 months.

The 22 officers and five sergeants in the police union gave up all 11 paid holidays in fiscal 2010, as did Police Chief Timothy J. Bent, who also will not receive his 3 percent pay raise. The concessions from the union and the dispatchers will help avert as many as six police layoffs, according to town officials.

“It was nice to see (police) take a leadership position on this,” Mr. McAuliffe said. “The other bargaining units also made major concessions. Some of these people will forgo as much as $4,000 out of their pocket. That is very unusual in a collective bargaining environment. The employees put the town and job security of their colleagues first.” He is also taking 15 furlough days.

“It gives me the ability to assure the good people of Webster that the town services, public safety and the quality of life will stay the same, and we hope, in a lot of ways get better, because right now there’s a lot of good momentum with people feeling we’re all in this terrible fiscal time together.”

The administrator has said the town faced a $1.3 million deficit in fiscal 2010 because of a reduction in state aid and requirements in existing contracts.